Oedipus Rex - Plot Outline

· Thebes founded by Cadmus before the play starts – from the teeth of a dragon

· Thebes was plagued by the Sphinx but Oedipus defeated it and became ruler of the city

· Thebes is plagued again

· King Laius told that he would be killed by his son – so bound his ankles and left him on a moor

· The baby (called Oedipus (sore feet)) was handed from a servant to a shepherd to Polybus, king of Corinth

· Eventually Oedipus receives a prophesy that he will kills has father and marry his mother – leaves Corinth

· Whilst traveling he meets his father and kills him

· The sole survivor (the servant who gave Oedipus away) returns to Thebes and blames a group of robbers

· Creon is sent to Pythos to speak to Apollo to ask how to rid Thebes of its suffering

· Apollo: ‘drive pollution, bred of this land, out of the country’ – referring to Oedipus – they have to revenge the death of King Laius by a killing or exiling the murderer

· King’s murderer was never discovered because Thebes was so troubled by the Sphinx

· Oedipus threatens the killer: ‘without happiness … may he pine and die,’ and ‘Gods to prevent harvest from the ground nor children from the womb’

· Oedipus summons Tiresias to find the killer of Laius – but Tiresias does not want to tell the truth

· Oedipus accuses Tiresias of the murder – why else would this seer not tell the truth

· Tiresias gets angry and tells Oedipus he is to blame

· Oedipus thinks Tiresias & Creon are in a plot to over throw him –

· Oedipus argues with Creon – Creon says why be king when I have all the benefits now and no responsibility

· Jocaste tries to placate Oedipus by proving that prophesies don’t come true – she reveals the prophesy to Laius, that he would be killed by son – so son abandoned on moor, so although Laius is dead it could not have been by his son’s hand

· Jocaste gives details of Laius’ death – at three way cross roads by Phocis – Oedipus realises

· Oedipus reveals his only past – being told by a drunkard that he was a ‘changeling’ and his leaving in anger to receive his own prophesy – that he would kill his father and marry his mother – hence he left Corinth. He doesn’t realise that Laius was his father and still thinks it was Polybus – cannot leave Thebes for fear of meeting father – is hopeful however that he didn’t kill Laius because the story told by the one survivor is that he was killed by a group of ‘robbers’ and not just one man. This sole survivor (a shepherd) is sent for.

· Messenger (also the shepherd) arrives from Corinth – Polybus is dead – therefore Oedipus did not kill father

· Oedipus explains why he left to the Messenger who tells Oedipus that Polybus wasn’t his real father. The Messenger explains he was given the baby by a shepherd (also the sole survivor of the attack)

· Jocaste realises the truth and tells Oedipus to stop asking questions before it’s too late

· The shepherd, now an old man, comes and realises what’s happened but won’t tell the truth

· Oedipus tortures him until he reveals the truth

· Jocaste runs off stage and hangs herself

· Oedipus runs off stage, finds her dead and blinds himself

· Oedipus is exiled by his own curse, Creon is now king